That whole ship thing at the end of episode 3 took me by surprise though, I was like... Dae Woong is a selfish manchild, sure, but he hasn't been MEAN up to this point. And that was really mean

rocknghorss: it was! He'd had a pretty disappointing day, but still, that was downright mean.  I guess from his point of view, everything was Miho's fault. So why not? Especially since as far as he knows, the water can't actually hurt her.

dramajib: It's awful. I hope he gets very contrite and fixes it somehow. Preferably NOT by diving in the water and swimming after the boat and getting pneumonia

rocknghorss: Lol.

The Greatest Love Story: Aunt and Elevator Guy

rocknghorss: Speaking of fixing things, I like how Miho is inadvertently fixing Daewoong's relationship with his Grandpa

dramajib: And helping his aunt and the elevator guy

rocknghorss: Oh yes lol. Although! I was a bit confused about why elevator guy thought that aunt was married?

dramajib: In the previous episode, when she runs away cos she thinks his daughter is his gf, he sees her standing in front of the mannequin at the men's underwear section of the department store, and when the sales woman asks her if she's buying undies for her husband she says yes, cos embarrassed

rocknghorss: Oh. I'm glad you remembered, b/c I was completely lost.  That said, I was quite amused just how EXTRA they both are. The soft lit sunset behind elevator man as he was (I guess) wallowing in despair was ridiculous and I loved it.

dramajib: It's so cheesy I can't stand it but I also simultaneously love it

Dramajib Goes Off On Noona

dramajib: Kristin have you finished episode 3? I haven't watched 4 yet but I have an itch to talk about noona and all her noona issues

rocknghorss: I’m down for discussing noona (and continuing to call everyone by their title rather than their name for the rest of the drama lol) whenever

dramajib: Hahaha sorry I'm just useless with names!

rocknghorss: No worries Ekta :) It’s all good! I can’t be bothered to learn names of characters nowadays... I’m too lazy

rocknghorss: I was wishing the other day that Seunggi’s character had a shorter name lol

@triangularlily: Doesn't Miho just call him Woong a lot of the time?

rocknghorss: Ooh you’re right.  Kristin you’re awesome. My thumbs thank you lol

triangularlily: Hahaha you’re welcome.

<note: at this point some of us hadn’t yet finished watching episode 4…>

dramajib: Since we're all done with three: KRISTIN, I TAKE BACK everything I said about noona. What a cunt!

rocknghorss: LOL

triangularlily: LMAO EKTA.

triangularlily: Like she is horrible but I kind of like her actually? When she is tired of waiting for Woong so she just drives away??

rocknghorss: Man-child Woong and Noona kinda deserve each other right now…

triangularlily: I guess I like that she isn’t like bending over backwards to get the guy like a lot of second leads do she is like super confident and scheming about it instead. But maybe I will take back my words too cause I really don’t remember her character at all

dramajib: I was SO PISSED with noona's dress scheme in episode 3, hence my indignation. Like, fine, I was all on her side at first because it IS ridiculous the way Dae Woong is behaving out of the blue and not giving legit reasons. I did love how she drove away.

But when she pulled the dress thing, when she KNEW she wasn't wearing that dress, and she let him lose his chance at auditioning, she lost me as a fan cos that's just cruel. You know this is the big break he's been working towards, and if you really cared about him you wouldn't sabotage that just to throw shade on your competition

rocknghorss: I both hated and enjoyed her pettiness.  Just like Kristin said, I kinda liked that unlike many “villainous” second female leads, she was unrepentantly nasty to her “competition” and wasn’t shy about it. I hated it of course, because it was just gross and had the consequence of more meanness thrown Miho’s way

<...some time later…>

dramajib: Okay I just finished episode 4, and I'm wavering again about Noona. Like, everything she says to Dae Woong about wanting him to be clear about his feelings is totally valid and fair. But the way she behaves about getting this lead role in the film is horrendous - and I don't quite understand why she calls him when she finds out that Mi Ho is the girl elevator guy had his eyes on

Hip Hop Guy, Guest Starring Ma Wang

dramajib: I am epicly confused by incongruent hip hop ost second male lead's deal. Is he just trying to restore balance? Kill Mi Ho? Steal her bead? Is he falling in love with her? Like what is going on there

rocknghorss: I’m watching 4 now. When you guys watched it did it seem like the monk knew that hip-hop guy was some sort of Demon Hunter/supernatural being?

triangularlily: Hmmm idk like he seemed very matter of fact about it like oh u can put the fox back nice!

rocknghorss: Right? It was kind of weird but I guess if the monk does actually believe in a nine tailed fox, why wouldn’t he believe that some random veterinarian could bring the fox back to the painting? Lol

dramajib: I love that his name is now hip hop guy. We’re so good at naming characters

rocknghorss: Lol. We are

dramajib: But didn’t Mi Ho call him a fake monk?

rocknghorss: Ooh, you’re right! But maybe that was supposed to be an insult, since he’s been keeping her captive in the painting?

dramajib: Yeah, that’s what I thought at first too. Also cos he keeps telling her story potentially incorrectly?

triangularlily: Oh true yeah

dramajib: Maybe hip hop guy gave them the painting in the first place? Cos he also gave them to the temple dog to guard it?

rocknghorss: I don’t know guys. Hip-hop guy’s backstory is the most confusing so far

dramajib: Right?? Cos I’m like.. Who even is this guy? He’s been passing as human since before Mi Ho got trapped in the painting, which means the girl he killed was even before that, so is he like in exile now? Is he good? Bad? On a different moral scale altogether?

triangularlily: I’m really trying to remember but can’t

dramajib: lol not the most memorable villain I guess. If he even counts as a villain.

triangularlily: I think he’s technically the second male lead lol

rocknghorss: Hm. Maybe he’s being punished like in Hwayugi.  The way Iron Fan was?

dramajib: Oh noooo the Iron Fan thing was TRAGIC I don’t want to sit through that again!! Ma Wang being mopey in his little throne room ugh

rocknghorss: Ugh yeah. Everything about Hwayugi was tragic.

dramajib: Well not everything. Ma Wang’s fashion gave me life

triangularlily: Lmao

rocknghorss: Lolol Fashion was good, it’s true. But how is he the second lead if he’s trying to kill/capture Miho is what I want to know

triangularlily: Lmao

dramajib: Well he loved Mi Ho’s lookalike, so I can see him starting to grow fond of Mi Ho. And like, try to keep spiritual beings together instead of letting her fraternize with humans

triangularlily: Yeah I think its something that develops and maybe we should talk more after u finish 4 Marie

triangularlily: Cause there is some development in that area in ep 4

rocknghorss: Ah. Oky doky!

<...some more time later…>

rocknghorss: I finally finished episode 4 you guys! And started episode five!

rocknghorss: And I find it super cute that the way the audience is supposed to know Miho is falling in ~love~ is that she wants to feed/eat with Woong, not just freeload off him

dramajib: I love her interaction with the neighbourhood mean girl ahjumma. And the whole hunting down coupons thing

rocknghorss: Yes! Mean girl ahjumma was hilarious.  Her voice was perfect lol

dramajib: Did finishing episode 4 give you any further insight into hip-hop guy?

rocknghorss: Ehhh. Hip hop guy is pitiful. I’d like to understand why his role appears to be “monster hunter” because that was still not cleared up unless I missed something.  But I can definitely see why he’s billed as the second male lead. He’s got it bad for her, in his own way

dramajib: I assume we get more of his back story? Because as it stands, it seems like the way he's hunting her down is probably the big plot point, and I don't really get it yet either

rocknghorss: I think we do? I can’t really remember.  He seems to lack a lot of urgency in getting her back to the temple tho.  Like if it was that big of a deal why is he slowing around and letting her decide on her to go back?

triangularlily: Yeah I cant remember either I think we do

triangularlily: *get more backstory I mean

dramajib: At first it seemed like he'd been waiting to catch her forever. Then it seemed like he was guarding society and making sure she's safely locked up. Now it's like he's hunting her for his own pleasure. So confused

rocknghorss: That’s exactly why I said hip hop Guy was pitiful btw. I think he likes her or is confusing her with her previous incarnation(??) and is struggling not to confuse his feelings for the other girl with Miho. So he’s got this artificial choice of duty or love, but he doesn’t even know Miho really.

triangularlily: Yeah he also has been by himself for so long. Like the whole can’t make human connection thing

rocknghorss: Yeah!

dramajib: The connection thing - was living with humans his choice, or forced on him? And if it was his choice, he's also chosen to live isolated, soooo… Not that I don't feel bad for him, I'm just being contrary for the sake of it

triangularlily: Yeah I just mean I can see how he became a bit twisted is all

dramajib: That whole scene where he's sitting with her in his house and telling her what her options are was sad. But I also don't trust him so I'm like... Are you just telling her things so that she'll choose to do what you want her to?

Ending On A Less Angsty Note

dramajib: But I also love that grandpa loves Mi Ho without even meeting her yet

rocknghorss: Yupo.  He’s just super enamored that someone was able to make his grandson grow up.  Grandpa doesn’t want much lol Also! I like that he doesn’t rib Aunt too much about her crush. Even though she’s wayyy too into it (again apparently lol)

dramajib: Lol aunt and elevator guy are great though. I can't wait for his daughter to find out that Dae Woong is going to be her cousin

triangularlily: Looool I didn't think about that

rocknghorss: I don’t think he does! I think one of the things I like best about this drama is the way they show how different families can be… like when Grandpa was talking to Miho and giving her the juice, he didn’t make a big deal about her not having parents (like they sometimes do in family dramas and makjangs). Nor was he pitying? It was more like he felt like he understood Woong a little better

triangularlily: It’s exactly because I like the grandpa that I’m disappointed in him listening to noona. It’s funny that as I watch each episode I’m like oh yeah I vaguely remember this happening but don’t ever remember the outcome until it happens

rocknghorss: Lol same. I’m kinda liking that though, because it makes it feel fresh. Who knows though, this might be another instance where the writers subvert our expectations and Grandpa decides to listen to Woong instead of just assuming he knows best

dramajib: I mean it would be nice if he’s just dragging both of them home so he can keep an eye on her, because that would really piss Noona off cos it’s a level of acceptance she can’t get.

dramajib: What really made me laugh was how Noona’s manager(?) was all “Yeah now we want him on board”

rocknghorss: lol I think it’s her manager… I’m having trouble remembering anything but that lady’s very intense eyeliner lol

dramajib: lol and what about Chicken ahjumma?!

rocknghorss: About her taking Miho to the home shopping show?

dramajib: Yes how cute are they?!

rocknghorss: lol yeah they are. One of the things I didn’t remember and now find sorta endlessly amusing is how ahjumma calls Miho “scary blue eyes”

dramajib: Now that I think about it, I really enjoy her interactions with people other than Dae Woong. I mean there’s hip-hop guy, but that somehow doesn’t really count because he’s… Special too. Like even in the earlier episode where Dae Woong left her alone with his friend to go after Noona? She had such a cute chat with him. It’s like everybody loves Mi Ho unless they have ulterior motives - kinda like what happened to her in the past when jealous wives spread nasty rumours about her.

rocknghorss: That’s a good point Ekta and I think it kinda goes along with that theme the writers had in 7/8 about being different not being a bad thing.

triangularlily: I do love Miho that’s for sure

dramajib: Do we actually know what hip hop guy is? In terms of not being human?

rocknghorss: IDK really. Sometimes I think he’s an evil spirit, what with putting that stuff about the Little Mermaid in Miho’s head. Then other times I just think he’s like Kagome in Inuyasha… and I feel like I bring up Inuyasha a lot, but it was the anime of my youth lol

dramajib: I never watched it, what is that character all about?

rocknghorss: Kagome essentially was your typical high schooler, who just happened to be raised in a temple, and somehow went back in time to become a demon hunter. She was nice though…

triangularlily: Shoot I feel like he said something about who he was in 7/8 but I can’t remember now

rocknghorss: Oh did he actually talk about himself Kristin? I guess I’ll have to admit to fastforwarding through his scenes lol

triangularlily: I feel like he did but i could be remembering wrong too

dramajib: I remember learning about Mi Ho’s lookalike but not anything specifically about him. But I also wasn’t paying that much attention. I can’t help it! His hair and the background music are always so distracting

rocknghorss: It is!! There was that one scene where he was outside for once (in a park I think) and it still had that stupid music cue! I literally LOL’d

triangularlily: It is so silly

triangularlily: After watching 9 I really feel like Noona is really missing out on using her skills of manipulating and sleuthing to be something more than an actor. I feel like she could be a mob boss or something

rocknghorss: LOL. So I actually tried to put myself in Noona’s shoes for once. Like what if someone I knew had fallen in with someone who seemed to be pushing them to do something despite being hurt, had come out of nowhere and started living with them and turned them into someone who was behaving very differently than just a few weeks before, I’d be freaked out too. Why wouldn’t I tell my friend’s parents that there seemed to be a problem? I don’t know if I’d try to coerce the “weirdo” into leaving, but I’d try to protect my friend.

triangularlily: Yeah it is easy to judge her but I am not sure what I would do either

rocknghorss: Right? It’s hard to say what you would do. Woong’s two friends are charmingly blase about Miho, but they’re just chill people I guess and Noona isn’t… and of course she’s upset cause her man is suddenly not her man any more. Which just complicates everything

triangularlily: I think still like she was too confident in her assumptions like she doesn’t actually know what she’s dealing with so like esp in terms of the end of episode 10

dramajib: I’m not sure I agree with defending Noona, although I really don’t hate her

rocknghorss: Lol. I still don’t actually like her. She, like HipHop, is on my shit list. She’s also like doing her level best to make Miho feel like Woong is using her… which he was/is but Miho and Woong already had that talk a few eps ago

dramajib: I don’t know about Hip Hop guy being on my shit list. I mean he should just tell Mi Ho the truth about someone dying, but it’s not like he’s keeping things from her out of ill intent.

rocknghorss: It’s true that HipHop doesn’t mean Miho ill, but I’m still mad because he’s hiding the fact that Woong is going to be Miho’s human sacrifice. He took the choice (to not kill Woong) away from her even though I think he can tell already how much she likes him

dramajib: Noona though… like, yeah, I agree that she’s got some footing to stand on with this being a lot to take in. If the guy I was flirting with suddenly took up with a mythical creature human hybrid, I’d be fairly confident he needed saving too. But she’s also simultaneously so selfish and scheme-y about it all that it’s hard to keep in mind that aspect of how her reaction is sort of warranted.

dramajib: I’m also confused by Grandpa’s flipflopping

rocknghorss: I think Grandpa’s issue is that he wanted to like Miho, and already did, but when Aunt came to him all worried, he just skipped some logical steps and went straight into Overprotective Mode. And I think I only know that because I’ve seen the whole drama, sorry Ekta!

dramajib: But then he suddenly goes back to being nice to her and feeding her??

rocknghorss: Yeah because he already wanted to like her because she made Woong ~responsible~

dramajib: Ugh. So. Illogical.

dramajib: I am so confused by hip hop dude. What is his goal here?? But maybe let’s get back to him later and talk about Dae Woong first.

rocknghorss: I’d like to give Woong a stern talking to lol. He’s basically gotten permission to walk all over Miho and is just plowing right along without really listening to his conscience and I just want to shake him!!!

dramajib: I thought Dae Woong was disillusioned by Noona, so I was surprised that he has the rings - but I did like that he told Mi Ho the truth about that

rocknghorss: Yeah. I agree about him being disillusioned about Noona, but I think perhaps he’s liked her for so long that it’s almost a habit to seek her approval

@triangularlily: Yeah that makes sense

dramajib: Good point. I actually do like her character mostly… I think… but I also love every time he brushes her off for Mi Ho and she’s just like ?!?!?. Also, I forget, does she actually know that Mi Ho is the girl the director wants as his star?

rocknghorss: I don’t think she does lol. That would make it all worse. The thing about Noona is that she seems likable and reasonable and then she spouts all of this self-centered nonsense… I was surprisingly disappointed in her when she lit into Woong about not being healthy enough to film.

dramajib: Well… some people express their concern by getting angry. And it’s not entirely unbelievable that she would worry about her reputation when this is her big break. Especially given that he has a tendency to be irresponsible and immature about things in the past. Having said that, still a bitch move.

rocknghorss: Speaking of women! I didn’t realize til this episode that elevator guy’s daughter had a crush on Woong.

triangularlily: She is kind of a strange character. Like I just mean she is Woong’s friend but also so quickly like dumped him

dramajib: Yes, she’s ODD. And the way Woong’s other friend has a crush on her is also weird. It’s almost like there’s a secondary romance storyline just for the sake of it.

rocknghorss: Hah! Some writers kill off their characters when they don’t know what to do with them anymore but the Hong sisters just have their side characters fall in love with each other lol

dramajib: Hahahaha Marie that is such a good observation and so true

triangularlily: I forgot about so many of the side characters in this show like I can’t remember what happens to most of them

rocknghorss: All I know is that we’re going to see Chicken Ahjumma all the way to the end, but for the rest it’s all a blur

dramajib: Oh I’m glad! I like Chicken Ahjumma. How long ago did you guys last watch this btw?

rocknghorss: Literally when it aired so almost ten years ago?

triangularlily: It was when I first started watching dramas so like yeah 10ish years ago. I think I watched it after it came out though like maybe more like 8 or 9 years idk

dramajib: I think maybe we can cut the drama some slack then if some side characters were forgettable. I can’t remember stuff from dramas two years ago!

rocknghorss: True true lol

rocknghorss: Ekta, why’d you have to fast forward through these eps, do you remember?

dramajib: I think I just wasn’t super engrossed for the first part of the episode? I can’t really remember to be honest

rocknghorss: I was just curious to know if you were finding what I was finding. For a lot of dramas I watch, I feel like everything is on this rising tide of awesomeness (my words are escaping me lol) up to episode 6, but with this show I’m not really feeling that. Maybe because Miho’s quest to become human is given less importance than the ?? potential?? love quadrangle.

triangularlily: love quandrangle lmao

dramajib: lol I do sort of agree with the episode 6 thing Marie. I feel like a lot of shows could benefit from telling the same story with a fewer number of episodes. But that might also be because I’ve watched more dramas now, and a lot of the fluff is no longer new and exciting to me. Plus, I always skip the romance bits (sorry Kristin!)

triangularlily: lmao. It is a romance drama though so I assume you went in with that expectation

dramajib: Oh yeah definitely. And I like both the lead actors so I don’t mind watching. And really, their romance development is kind of cute. It’s like what Marie said earlier about Dae Woong is like a little kid who doesn’t know how to tell Mi Ho he likes her. It’s like watching your kid siblings in their first relationship

triangularlily: Yeah I always did like the ending of episode 6, when he runs after her

dramajib: And leaves noona there? The best.

rocknghorss: Yes Miho and Woong are too cute. I’m just crossing my fingers that hip hop guy will chill with the angst, and not get in the way too much.

triangularlily: If I remember right the main like obstacle in the show was more like what he did (giving Miho a way to become human but also killing Woong in the process) rather than hip hop guy himself. If that makes sense. So they are fighting to both be alive and to survive rather than fighting hip hop guy directly